Mirikai's Story
by Marissa Flynn
Summary: I placed the nerve gear on my head, and laid down on my bed. My brothers banged on the door, wishing they could play too, but my intentions were clear to them. This was mine, and they weren't going to take part in it. I wish they'd understand. They were furious with me for not letting them have a turn. I closed my eyes, and I announced two words, "Link start!"
1. Link Start!

**Hey everyone! For those of you who recognize me for my Phineas and Ferb stories, I will be taking a small break from PnF. I might update every so often, but right now I'm REALLY into SAO, so be patient with me. Also, I wanna apologize for my long absence from . My laptop had some Malware and my internet wasn't working for a long time after we scanned it and cleaned it. **

**For those of you who don't know me, I'm Marissa Flynn, formerly known as iheartphinabella05, but that's somewhat behind me now. Anyway, I usually write PnF, but now I'm somewhat expanding my horizons. I say somewhat because...well...never mind, I wanna see who can figure it out. Anyway. While usually my OC's are 'insert major', Mirikai...is actually background. WHAT?! Marissa Flynn, formerly iheartphinabella05, is creating a BACKGROUND character?! MADNESS! Lol**

**Anyway, I do not own Sword Art Online (I WISH), but I do own Mirikai. **

**Please review, this is my first SAO story. I'd appreciate reviews.**

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I placed the nerve gear on my head, and laid down on my bed. My brothers banged on the door, wishing they could play too, but my intentions were clear to them. This was mine, and they weren't going to take part in it. I wish they'd understand. They were furious with me for not letting them have a turn. I closed my eyes, and I announced two words, "Link start!" and after that I seemed to be asleep to the real world.

After a bunch of colors passed through my vision and the system checked my five senses along with me selecting my language, I was greeted with a huge screen that said, "WELCOME TO SWORD ART ONLINE."

After that, a menu pulled up. I was able to pick my gender, hair, height, weight...everything. I decided not to deviate too much from my true self as far as physical body. Of course the first thing I did was pick my name. I...I didn't feel right about using my real name. I decided to go with a different name...something exotic and different. Ah! I know!

Name: Mirikai

Gender: Female

Height: 5' 5.5"

Hair color: Light Brown

Styled: short past the shoulder length barely, straight

Eye Color: Hazel

Other Eye Features: glasses

Outfit: a black t-shirt, white sweater-like jacket, layered skirt (black, white and blue), white leggings, black heels (able to fight and move comfortably)

My outfit is nothing like my true self...but I didn't really care. After that, a blinding light shone into my eyes, and when I opened them...I saw skies and grass. I saw buildings and other people. This is amazing! It's like I actually live here, actually stand here and feel the breeze...it's like I'm...in a new dimension. I look around, and I see many different avatars. When I look at their features, they are a lot different than mine. It's strange...we all look like a person in an anime...which is fine by me. I can't let them see where I'm really from...what I really look like. This is my escape from the real world, from people always teasing me. The nice thing is that if I die...I can just try again...I had no idea how wrong I was.

It was later within the day. I had fought some low level monsters for a little bit of experience points trying to level up even a little bit. I was about level five when I looked at the time. It was about dinner time. I admitted I was kind of hungry, and mom made the best tacos I knew of. I decided to logout for the night. However...when I opened up my main menu...the logout button was gone...must be a bug or so. From what I've heard this is Sword Art Online's first day out of beta. I hear the beta testers made it far...but not far enough to beat the game. How amazing it would have been to beta test this game. Oh well, at least I get to play it now. I just hope they fix the bug soon. Suddenly I felt myself being teleported into the square of the Town of Beginnings. I was surrounded by other players. Some were pretty handsome...but I knew most of these players were from Japan. I can't make too many friends here...considering I'd never have money to fly to Japan to meet them in real life. It's one reason I chose the name Mirikai. It sounds more Japanese. I can't let them know where I really come from. If they did, they'd all judge me. They'd judge me and wonder how I managed to get a copy of SAO...the truth is...I specially ordered it so that I'd be able to play it. My sister has a friend who has family in Japan, and she managed to get a special copy of the game translated in English for me. I'd have to thank her. I had to wonder what was going on though. I mean...first the logout button is gone, now this? Suddenly the skies became a dark red, and a red liquid started oozing from the skies. It took the shape of a hooded figure without a face. I admitted this scared me a bit. He announced his name, Akihiko Kayaba, and that the whole 'logout button bug' wasn't a bug at all. The truth was that this was completely intentional. We couldn't logout of SAO...and if we died in the game...the nerve gear would destroy our brain. It got worse than that...if our family members try to remove it, it would destroy our brain as well. This wasn't a game anymore. It was now a fight for survival. Life or death...that's what this was now. The only way out of the game is to beat it by defeating every boss on all one-hundred floors of Aincrad, the floating castle that SAO is on. I had to be careful if I ever wanted to see my family again. Akihiko Kayaba then mentioned an item placed in our storage, and he invited us to check it out...but...I didn't trust him. I mean he's trapping us in a death game! I decide against looking at the item given to us. I was right not to trust this item. It changed every player in the square to what they look like in the real world. I couldn't bear it if they saw who I looked like in the real world. A lot of players were revealed to be opposite gender than their avatars. I was glad I didn't check out the new item. I feared what would happen in the real world. How worried my brothers would be when I didn't come to dinner...Oh no! What if they try to remove my nerve gear?! I'll die! Kayaba then mentioned that two hundred thirteen players out of the ten thousand disregarded his warning and their families tried removing their nerve gear...and indeed the nerve gear destroyed their brains. Those poor people. I was relieved when I heard that bodies playing SAO were moved to hospitals to further secure their safety of dying. It then hit me...I might never see my brothers again...or my sister...or any of my family. Oh my God...what was I going to do? Let's see…there's these places called safe zones, where a player cannot die unless there's a duel. But even then, those are challenges of skill and strength, not a fight to the death...but...I guess some people think differently. I'd be wise to avoid duels...avoid players altogether. I think I'll just stay in the safe zones...my only problem is food. What was I gonna do? Would I ever see my family again?

My name is Mirikai, real name...not important right now, and I am thirteen years old. And I'm gonna survive this game...for my family.

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**Yeah, a little short, but it's a prologue, what do you expect. Now, Mirikai is going to come in contact with major characters like Asuna and Kirito, BUT, it will be in chapters that take place between episodes. Remember how it took two years to get out of SAO, and the first and second episodes took place a month apart? Well, Mirikai's Story will take place between episodes...maybe background to the actual episodes, but background only. She'll be major in the story...but if she's in any episodes, she's only background...like...during Kirito's part of the story, it's a meanwhile kind of thing. You never 'see' her in the episodes...if you know what I mean. Anyway, please review!**


	2. Who I Am

**Hey all, it's just me. Here's the second chapter. This chapter has a bit of repetition in this chapter, and I apologize for that. next chapter we shall see Asuna. Anyway...uh...I do not own SAO. But I own Mirikai.**

It's been about a week since the launch of this death game. Lately I've been staying away from players. I hunted only slightly, but really it was only if I absolutely had to. My goal was getting to the next town. Luckily I managed to avoid most players and higher level monsters. It didn't take long for me to reach the next town. I kept to myself, and that was fine. I didn't eat much...only enough to satisfy my hunger virtually. I wonder how my brothers are faring with my absence...they must be taking it hard. The thought of my brothers...my sister...my family altogether...it made me want to cry. Then again, I am a thirteen year old girl in a game where death is actually serious. If I die...I can't just go back and say 'oh well, I'll try tomorrow'...no...if I die, then I'm gone for good. The very thought hurt me internally, and I couldn't hold back my tears. I couldn't let the other players see me cry though. I wanted to seem...not strong, but also not weak. So I remained hidden as much as possible. I didn't watch other players, and in turn, they ignored me. I kept my distance and only cared for myself. I'd heard of another player like that. But I also heard somewhere about him being a beta tester. That little tidbit of information made me know exactly why he was a solo player. Perhaps a solo player was what I was too. I didn't care though.

Ever since the launch of SAO, I noticed I have deviated from who I am in the real world. Perhaps...a little more than I care to admit. When I see a player, my first instinct is to run because if I see them hurt, I know deep down I'd want to help them. When a player tries to be friends with me...well...I refuse. I don't want to be any trouble, and I don't want to be the cause of a death. That is why I too am a solo player. The truth is...the more I think of who I am in the real world...the more I think of my family. That's when I start to cry. I realize that if I want to at least survive in this game I need to be...somebody else than who I usually am. The more I think of how different I am in this world, the more I realize that I'm accomplishing my goal in why I even bought this game. I wanted to be a whole different person than I am. I didn't want to get teased for my appearance, and in here, all that is possible. The truth is...my avatar is nothing like the real me. That's totally fine with me since I wanted that in the first place. Usually I'm outgoing, in here I'm shy and solo. In the real world, my favorite colors are pink and black, but in here, I wear blue, white and black. The only thing that is exactly who I am...is my voice. But even then, it feels like I'm just an actor speaking an animated role. When I speak, it's depressed and dull. When I speak in the real world, I'm usually perky...but how could you be perky when you're in a game that could end your life? It...it's not even a game anymore! It's like...like...I don't know what, but it's certainly not a game anymore.

I'd managed to get a sword from a monster. I upgraded from my weak sword. I know that if I'm going to survive, I need to at least hunt and level up a little bit so that nobody sees me as a weak player and then PK me. Luckily most of my time is spent in safe zones. So far nobody has wanted to duel me. I'm glad for that. I will do my best to make it out of this game alive. My family is probably depending on it...but...what if they don't even know of my condition? What if I'm laying there all by myself. I could die of starvation or not enough activity. No! I can't think like that. If I'm going to get home, I need to think they're waiting for me...but I also need to not think of them. If the other players see me a big crybaby, they'll target me because I'm so weak.

I decided I'm going to head to the next safe zone. The dungeon I have to cross will be difficult, but I think I can handle it...no...I can't. I'd die the second I faced a monster...and I never know if I'll run into the boss. I think it's better if I just stay here until I raise my level a little more. Yeah...I'm gonna do that. I decided to get into a motel and sleep for the night. I am pretty tired. In the distance I could see another girl with brown pigtails and a blue dragon like creature. It was pretty cute. Behind her was a shady looking woman with red hair. She seemed...untrustworthy. I wonder if the girl with pigtails and dragon is her prisoner...luckily it's a safe zone, so murder isn't possible. I checked into a motel, and I laid down on the bed in my room, and I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The dream I had was...strange…

_"Come home…"_

_That voice! I know it!_

_"Come home, sis...we need you...I need you...You're my big sister…"_

_The voice of my little brother. I opened my eyes, and he was right there, staring at me through his deep blue eyes, sparkling and welling up in tears._

_"I'm right here!" I called, but he ignored me._

_"Please come home, sis…"_

_"I'm trying to! God, I'm trying!"_

_He didn't seem to hear me, and that's when I realized I was trapped...trapped in a glass box. I looked down and I saw...me...sleeping with the nerve gear on my head. I pounded on the glass._

_"No! Please! I want out! I want to be with you!" I cried out, "Please let me out of here!"_

_Tears were falling...but...there was no drain, and the tears still came. It got to the point where my tears started flooding the glass box. It was up to my ankles. I tried to stop crying, but I couldn't. My only way out was to break the glass._

_"Help me, brother! Please help me!" I screamed._

_"He can't hear you," a voice said, and I turned. Standing before me was the red hooded figure, Akihiko Kayaba, "This glass is unbreakable and soundproof."_

_"Please...I just want to go home," I said._

_"I'm afraid I can't let you go home...that would be cheating, and cheaters are punished...dearly," Kayaba looked down at my feet, and I realized the tears were rising even higher...up to my thighs. I was going to drown in my tears._

_"No please! I just want to see my family again! I'm so scared! Why are you doing this?!"_

_"You can't go home...you belong to me or death now...your choice," Kayaba said and offered a hand to me, "I can get you out of the glass, but only if you promise to be a good little girl. You may see your family again, but only if the game is cleared and you're still alive."_

_I realized I didn't have a choice...and I took his hand, reaching for my brother meanwhile. Kayaba took me out of the box, and I was back in SAO, but this was different...it wasn't...the first floor. It was the last floor...and everyone else was dead. I could see their shards were floating in the air. I was the only one left. I then saw Akihiko Kayaba, red hood and no face…*shudder* creepy._

_"If you can defeat me, I'll release you to your family along with all living players...oh wait," although I can't see his face, I know he's smirking at me, "You're the only one left."_

_I ran to him to strike, but he struck me first...game over…_

I bolted upright in shock from the nightmare. What if I was going to be the last player by the time everyone else made it to the one-hundredth floor? Would it even be worth trying to go home if I'm dead meat anyways? I sat up, hugging my knees. I fought my hardest to keep my tears in…

...but I was unsuccessful.

**Well that's it for this chapter. We'll see Asuna next chapter. Anyway please review. I am motivated to update with reviews. **


	3. Asuna

**Hey everyone! Get this! I'm posting this from school! Sweetness! Anyway I can't believe there's only two weeks left till Christmas! I do not own SAO, but I own Mirikai. **

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It's been about a month and a week since the launch of Sword Art Online. A week ago, a team of players defeated the boss on floor one, so we could move on. I'd heard that over two thousand players were dead by the first month...oh God that scares me. I'm still afraid to go alone through the dungeons...maybe I should just stay on Floor 1, buy a house, perhaps...no...I need to keep going. If I stay too long in one place, I'll get noticed, and I don't want that. I decided to head into the dungeon. Hopefully I wouldn't run into anything. If I did, well, I've got my sword.

* * *

Never did I expect to be traveling with another player...but this one seemed trustworthy. I needed to get past the tenth floor dungeon, and there was only one way I was going to be able to do it. I was going to have to go with another player. I'd tried to venture out on my own...yeah...that didn't go so well...

_I was faced with monsters surrounding me. They were a lot stronger than I was. I should have found someone to go with me. I searched frantically for an opening I could possibly escape the monsters, but they surrounded me, shoulder to shoulder, huge, like nine feet tall monsters. My sword was out of reach. I crouched down and hugged my knees in fear. I buried my face in my arms. I failed them...I was going to die now. My family was never going to see me again. But then I heard it. The faint sound of a monster or player shattering to pieces like a glass shattering. I saw dozens of blue/green glass shards floating around me, and I saw a girl...she wore a dark red leather tunic with a lightweight copper breastplate and white leggings with red leather boots. She had really long chestnut colored hair with a braid in the back and a small little ponytail in the very back. Her eyes were a really pretty hazel color. She had a sword, but I couldn't even see the tip of it because of her fast fighting. I sat there on the ground huddled in fear until the girl came up to me and handed me my sword. She offered her hand out to me, and I timidly took it._

_"Hey, are you okay?" the girl said to me as she helped me up, and I nodded, "It's okay, you're safe now."_

_I nodded, and I said very quietly, "Thank you."_

_The girl smiled, and she made a happy emoticon face, "No worries, but you should really be careful when you're out in the dungeons. You could get hurt or even killed. You're lucky I happened to be passing by."_

_I nodded, and she looked me in the eyes...wow...her eyes are really pretty… "Do you want me to come with you until we get to the next safe zone? I'd be happy to stay with you."_

_I didn't really want another player to go with me...but I can't get past the monsters myself. I'm not strong enough. I reluctantly nod._

_"Hey...don't you talk?"_

_"Um...well…"_

_"There it is. Oh! Where are my manners? My name's Asuna."_

_"Um...I'm Mirikai."_

_"That's a pretty name."_

_I nodded, and we decided to go together. I was foolish to think I could make it through this dungeon on my own. I'm only level 15 after all. Asuna and I continued on through the dungeon._

* * *

As time passed...I found I was talking a little more to Asuna. She did save me after all. I'd actually found myself smiling as Asuna told me about herself and what she's been doing in SAO recently. Apparently she was one of the people on the assault team who defeated the first boss. She'd told me about a beater named Kirito. He seemed very strange to me...yet...I kind of understood where he was coming from. I smiled and laughed a little as Asuna told me some funny things.

"Yeah...after the battle, I confronted him about knowing my name, and it turns out when we're in a party, we can see the other player's name. I am such a dummy!"

I found myself smiling a little bit at Asuna's sense of humor. I was still...really quiet though. As we continued through the dungeon, we fought monsters...well...Asuna did most of the fighting. We got further, and she seemed to be more interested about me now.

"Well, enough about me. What about you? I mean...little girl like you ought to be training harder so that you're stronger. I mean...you want to be strong don't you?"

I paused as I figured out how I was going to respond to her question. I had to avoid talking about my family. I couldn't let her see me cry. I closed my eyes and said my answer.

"Just because I'm not weak doesn't mean I'm strong...and just because I'm not strong doesn't mean I'm weak. I don't want to be strong or weak. I'd rather remain somewhere in the middle," I replied.

"I guess you're right," Asuna stated, "Do mind if I ask you about your motive to survive? I mean...who's to say the final boss will ever be beat? What if...what if everyone dies trying or everyone gives up on it…?"

"NO!" I shouted, "Th-that can't happen! I...I have to get home."

The tears started coming, and I shut my eyes tight to try and force them away. However Asuna caught me. She put her hand on my shoulder, and after that I couldn't hold them in anymore. Asuna reminded me of my big sister...a year older than me but still older. I wonder how old Asuna is...then again she'd want to know my age. I guess that wouldn't hurt too much to say.

"Mirikai, I'm sorry...I...I didn't know it meant so much to you...is it your family?"

"Y-yeah," I wiped the tears from my eyes, and then I looked at Asuna, "A-Asuna? How old are you?"

"Well...I'm fifteen...do you mind if I ask you how old you are?"

"I'm thirteen...and the reason I...I wanna get home because...I've got little brothers and a sister. She's older, but she's still my sister. I...I wasn't the nicest to my brothers before I logged on...I...I don't even know if they care I haven't woken up in a little over a month."

"I'm sure they care...especially if you love them and they love you," Asuna replied, "You do love them...don't you?"

"More than anything in the world...but...I was so horrible to them when I got the game…"

_"Come on! We wanna play too!"_

I shook my head forcing the flashback away. I can't think about them...not now. Asuna seemed so concerned about me since then. She fought the monsters harder and faster. She also seemed to protect me even more. In fact...when a monster was coming straight at me, she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me out of the way. I felt my heartbeat increase from fear of the monster. She also seemed to hug me as the monster passed us (and she stabbed it and it died) and our hair was thrown around furiously. I shook in her arms as she held me tightly.

"It's okay, Mirikai, it's gone," Asuna said taking deep breaths, "We're safe now."

I noticed I was breathing heavily as well. The feel of Asuna's arms around me...it made me feel like I was at home. My big sister, hugging me, the two brothers clinging. Reality caught up to me, and I remembered it wasn't my family...just this stranger girl who actually is really nice and nurturing...Maybe it wouldn't be bad to tag along with her during my time in SAO. I still shook in her arms, not fully processing that we're safe. I opened my eyes, and I was staring directly into Asuna's hazel colored eyes. I looked away, feeling...feeling like she was my big sister. I hugged her back, and I let the tears fall. She hugged me like a big sister, and I poured myself onto her. It was strange...I never thought I'd do that to a stranger...but Asuna felt different. It's like...my mind was telling my heart that she was trustworthy...maybe even with my real name...no...not that yet. Asuna then noticed I was pretty tired from walking. She must be a really high level because she's not tired at all. I could feel my eyes drooping. I tried fighting it, but then her arms went around me a different way. My body was being lifted off the ground, and I was still in her arms. Asuna is carrying me while I *yawn* sleep? Wow...she's really *yawn* nice.

* * *

I opened my eyes slowly, and saw I was in a motel room. The bed was really comfortable. It seemed I was alone, but then I looked toward the windows, and Asuna is sitting on the chair next to it. Apparently she was waiting for me to wake up. She smiled a really gentle smile.

"A-Asuna? Did...did you carry me all the way here?" I asked, and she nodded, "Weren't you tired?"

"Hm? Oh no, Mirikai, it's no trouble. You actually looked really cute sleeping in my arms like that. It kind of felt like I had a little sister," Asuna replied sweetly.

I never thought a girl like her could be attached to a girl like me. I mean here I'm so solo and depressed. Maybe she sees me as a player in need of a friend. Actually...a friend like Asuna doesn't sound too bad right now. I mean...she treats me like a little sister. Why not think of her as a big sister? It then crossed my mind that maybe she has little siblings IRL.

"Um, Asuna?"

"Hm?"

"I know we're not supposed to talk about our lives IRL...but...do you have siblings?"

"I have a brother. I guess when I saw how much you miss your family, I suppose it reminded me of me, but younger. Then when you were so vulnerable and then I saved you from that monster...I felt like I was holding my brother for a bit. I have always wanted a little sister. I guess you're the closest I might get."

Wow...she's wanted a little sister. To be honest my big sister hasn't been hanging out with me very often. I've been pushed to hanging out with my little brothers. My friends hang out with us too, but once she turned eleven, my big sister never played with me anymore. Being a big sister is pretty cool if you're the right kind. There's the bossy, bratty ones; there's also the bad influential ones; then there's the really nice, kind and supportive ones. I see myself as the supportive big sister. I don't know about Asuna though. She seems pretty nurturing to me. I mean she carried me as I slept!

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a friend...or even big sister in the game," I said, "I could train harder and help out."

Asuna giggled, "Then it's settled. We can become our own strike team for awhile. Do you wanna just stick to motels or do you want to get a house?"

Asuna sent me a request to join a strike team with her, and I accepted, "Either or works for me."

"Let's get a small house in the safe zones, of course," Asuna said.

"Okay," I nodded.

I thought staying alone was my best bet to survive...but now I have my own virtual big sister…"

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**Told ya Asuna came in this chapter! Anyway, we have a couple chapters left to go before Kirito comes along. Please review! Thank you! **


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